Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
Cumberland Gap was the first great gateway to the west. Come follow the path of bison, Native Americans, longhunters, and pioneers. Walk where 300,000 people crossed the Appalachians to settle America. Explore 85 miles of trails and 14,000 acres of wilderness. Stand in 3 states at once. Explore a cave, see Hensley Settlement, or camp under the stars. Come find your connection to Cumberland Gap.
Alerts
- InformationTrail Maintenance Underway Near Sand Cave
Crews are using Ridge Trail from Hensley to Sand Cave Trail to complete trail work. Trails remain open; some sections may be muddy or messy.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Cumberland Gap National Historical Park | Daily · 9:00AM - 4:00PM |
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 9:00AM - 4:00PM |
| Nov 27, 2026Thanksgiving | Hours not published |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas | Hours not published |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day | Hours not published |
When to go
October draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| Wilderness Road Campground | 154 sites | |
| $24 a night · The Wilderness Road Campground is open year-round with loops A, E, F, G, and O closing seasonal. | ||
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
The Visitor Center features exhibits, a gift shop, and a short park film. See a Civil War-era cannon, explore the garden and picnic areas, and enjoy the accessible Fitness Trail. Maps, park info, and snacks are also available.
- Daniel Boone Visitor Information Station
The Daniel Boone Visitor Information Station is your go-to spot for park information. Pick up brochures, maps, and other helpful resources, and get expert guidance from our park staff, ready to answer any park related questions you may have.
Explore
Things to do
- Gap Cave Tour90-120 Minutes
Guided Tours of Gap Cave
Opens on the Park Service site - Hensley Settlement Tours4-5 Hours
Guided Tours of Hensley Settlement
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- 01:00 PM · runs through Oct 30 · registration requiredMeet at the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
- 09:00 AM · freeMultiple locations. Evening Program at Wilderness Rd. Campground Amphitheater Gap Hike meet at Thompson Walker parking lot.
- Cumberland Gap Tunnel Anniversary Program10/1606:00 PM · freeWilderness Road Campground Amphitheater 854 National Park Rd., Ewing, VA 24248 Parking: Limited parking at the end of C-Loop.
- Historic Gap Tour10/1802:00 PM · runs through Oct 25 · freeThis starts from the Thomas Walker Parking Area.
- Foraging & Folk Medicine in the Cumberland Gap10/2406:00 PM · freeWilderness Road Campground Amphitheater 854 National Park Rd., Ewing, VA 24248 Parking: Limited parking at the end of C-Loop.
- Ghost, Ghouls, and the Unexplained of the Cumberland Gap Region10/3006:00 PM · freeWilderness Road Campground Amphitheater 854 National Park Rd., Ewing, VA 24248 Parking: Limited parking at the end of C-Loop.
News
- Cumberland Gap Announces Rare Tour for 30th Anniversary of Cumberland Gap Tunnel ↗2026-09-30
From October 16 to 18, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park will celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the Cumberland Gap Tunnel by offering visitors a rare, behind-the-scenes experience.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- William Sayers HomesteadBuilding · Ewing · 2.8 mi
- Grant-Lee HallBuilding · Harrogate · 4.3 mi
- Mt. Moriah Baptist ChurchBuilding · Middlesboro · 5.7 mi
- Limited American Association Office BuildingBuilding · Middlesboro · 6 mi
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for the South
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Local history books for Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthBald Eagle 1× · American Black Bear 1× · Red Fox 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 156 birds, 51 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Bald Eagle · Barred Owl · Black Vulture · Broad-winged Hawk · Cooper's Hawk · Eastern Screech-Owl · Golden Eagle · Great Horned Owl · Merlin · Northern Harrier · Northern Saw-whet Owl · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon · Red-shouldered Hawk · Red-tailed Hawk · Rough-legged Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersCanada Goose · Great Blue Heron · Greater White-fronted Goose · Green Heron · Sandhill Crane · Snow Goose · Wood Duck
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican Woodcock · Killdeer · Ring-billed Gull
Gamebirds & dovesMourning Dove · Rock Pigeon · Ruffed Grouse · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Pileated Woodpecker · Red-bellied Woodpecker · Red-headed Woodpecker · Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsChimney Swift · Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Also on the checklistAcadian Flycatcher · American Crow · American Goldfinch · American Pipit · American Redstart · American Robin · Baltimore Oriole · Barn Swallow · Bay-breasted Warbler · Belted Kingfisher · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-billed Cuckoo · Black-throated Blue Warbler · Black-throated Green Warbler · Blackburnian Warbler · Blackpoll Warbler · Blue Grosbeak · Blue Jay · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Blue-headed Vireo · Blue-winged Warbler · Brown Creeper · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Canada Warbler · Cape May Warbler · Carolina Chickadee · Carolina Wren · Cedar Waxwing · Cerulean Warbler · Chestnut-sided Warbler · Chipping Sparrow · Chuck-will's-widow · Common Grackle · Common Nighthawk · Common Raven · Common Yellowthroat · Connecticut Warbler · Dark-eyed Junco · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Meadowlark · Eastern Phoebe · Eastern Towhee · Eastern Wood-Pewee · European Starling · Field Sparrow · Fox Sparrow · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Golden-winged Warbler · Gray Catbird · Gray-cheeked Thrush · Great Crested Flycatcher · Hermit Thrush · Hooded Warbler · Horned Lark · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · Kentucky Warbler · Least Flycatcher · Louisiana Waterthrush · Magnolia Warbler · Mallard · Mourning Warbler · Nashville Warbler · Northern Cardinal · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Parula · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Northern Waterthrush · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orange-crowned Warbler · Orchard Oriole · Ovenbird · Palm Warbler · Philadelphia Vireo · Pine Siskin · Pine Warbler · Prairie Warbler · Purple Finch · Purple Martin · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Scarlet Tanager · Song Sparrow · Summer Tanager · Swainson's Thrush · Swainson's Warbler · Swamp Sparrow · Tennessee Warbler · Tree Swallow · Tufted Titmouse · Veery · Warbling Vireo · Whip-poor-will · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-eyed Vireo · White-throated Sparrow · Wilson's Warbler · Winter Wren · Wood Thrush · Worm-eating Warbler · Yellow Warbler · Yellow-bellied Flycatcher · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-rumped Warbler · Yellow-throated Vireo · Yellow-throated Warbler
Small mammalsAllegheny woodrat · American beaver · Appalachian cottontail · cloudland deer mouse · eastern chipmunk · eastern cottontail · eastern gray squirrel · golden mouse · hairy-tailed mole · hispid cotton rat · least shrew · long-tailed shrew · masked shrew · muskrat · northern short-tailed shrew · pygmy shrew · smoky shrew · southern bog lemming · southern flying squirrel · southern red-backed vole · white-footed mouse · woodland jumping mouse · woodland vole
PredatorsAmerican mink · black bear · bobcat · coyote · eastern spotted skunk · gray fox · long-tailed weasel · raccoon · striped skunk
Hoofed mammalselk · white-tailed deer
BatsEvening Bat · Indiana bat · Rafinesque's big-eared bat · Southeastern Myotis · Tricolored Bat · big brown bat · eastern red bat · eastern small-footed bat · gray bat · hoary bat · little brown bat · northern bat · silver-haired bat
Also on the checklistVirginia opossum · domestic cat · domestic dog · woodchuck
Activities
Activity guides for this park Camping in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
Weather & climate
Summers at Cumberland Gap are hot and humid, with temperatures commonly in the mid to upper 90s. Winters are generally mild with rain and some periods of snow January through March. Temperatures usually range in the 30s and 40s. Weather can sometimes be unpredictable, especially at higher elevations.
Questions people ask
Does Cumberland Gap charge an entrance fee?
No. Cumberland Gap is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Cumberland Gap?
Standard hours are 9:00AM - 4:00PM, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Cumberland Gap?
Yes. The Park Service lists 1 campground in Cumberland Gap: Wilderness Road. 1 takes reservations through Recreation.gov.
Which Cumberland Gap campgrounds have showers, hookups, or a dump station?
Showers: Wilderness Road. Dump station: Wilderness Road. Electric hookups: Wilderness Road.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at Cumberland Gap right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Trail Maintenance Underway Near Sand Cave.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Cumberland Gap?
765,010 recreation visits in 2025, number 87 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
What is the weather like at Cumberland Gap?
Summers at Cumberland Gap are hot and humid, with temperatures commonly in the mid to upper 90s. Winters are generally mild with rain and some periods of snow January through March.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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